Porsche 918 Spyder Given the Green Light - News

This hybrid supercar may arrive by 2012.

Porsche announced today that, due to overwhelming public response, it will develop the racy 918 Spyder hybrid into a production car. In the New European Driving Cycle, the 918 Spyder concept, which made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, achieved impressive fuel consumption of only 3 liters per 100 kilometers, which equates to about 78 mpg. This test, briefly, has four city cycles lasting 13 minutes, followed by 6.7 minutes of highway simulation.

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On the other hand, the 918 Spyder can offer the performance of a supercar with its mid-mounted 3.4-liter V-8, which produces more than 500 bhp and powers the car to a top speed of 198 mph.

The 918, with front and rear electric motors adding 218 hp to the mix, offers four distinct driving modes. E Drive is solely electric power, with a range of up to 16 miles. In Hybrid mode, electric power and gasoline power are used as conditions warrant, in ways designed to maximize economy or performance. In Sport Hybrid mode, in which both drive systems maximize performance, most of the power goes rearward, aided by torque vectoring to help the car's dynamics. Lastly, there's Race Hybrid mode for the utmost performance, such as running at the limit on the racetrack. In this mode, there's even a "push to pass" E-Boost feature that feeds in added electrical power for overtaking or better lap times.

Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG, says, "Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base."

No timeframe for production was given by Porsche, but we'd venture to say a production 918 Spyder could arrive sometime in 2012.